ALBUM REVIEW: Chasing Shadows – Sunnata
It’s been three years since the Polish doom metal shamans SUNNATA unleashed their last studio effort Burning In Heaven, Melting On Earth. The album saw the band push themselves more creatively than ever before and left their fans wondering what was in store further down the line. Now, in 2024 the band are back with their fifth full-length effort Chasing Shadows and the big question is, have they continued down their more progressive path or will they revert to a more direct, metallic style? The answer is almost resoundingly the former.
The album opens with the gargantuan Chimera – an eight-minute opus that boasts the kind of eerie chords, echoing drum beats and ethereal vocal lines that you would find in the work of post-metal acts such as CULT OF LUNA. This is a track that shows you just how adventurous the band have become over the past couple of records. The layered vocals and off-kilter guitar lines swell as the song progresses and when the heavy guitars finally hit the listener is entranced. This is captivating songwriting, proving that when done properly a song of this length can feel half the duration.
The ALICE IN CHAINS-esque vocal harmonies at the beginning of Torn serve wonderfully at pushing the haunting feel of the album in the early stages. This feels like shamans conjuring spells, willing the listener to venture further into the record like the sirens of Greek mythology. The heavily distorted guitars come and go, with waves of distortion washing over the track before giving way to more echoed guitars and layers of melancholic vocals that lend themselves to the grandiose feel of the album.
Saviours Raft is another highlight, with the Middle Eastern sounding stringed instruments adding another element to the already fascinating soundscape. This is a band hitting their creative peak as they once again layer vocal harmonies on top of each other to create a massive sound. At this point it seems as though the guitars have taken a back seat in the writing and recording process, with the emphasis seemingly being on the melodies that can be created by these immensely talented singers (that’s not to say that the guitars are not important, because as soon as the fuzzy guitar tones come into play in the middle section of the track the song sounds colossal).
Fans who are looking for straight forward doom metal on this album will have most probably lost interest by the time they get to Hunger. However, for those of the audience that enjoy music on the more progressive and adventurous side this will surely be a favourite. This is the kind of track that you would likely find on the cutting floor of a TOOL recording session, with the textures of the song ebbing and flowing along with the singing in a way that demands attention. It’s the sort of thing that should be listened to with the lights off, headphones on and truly taken in a spiritual sense. There are so many little nuances and little tricks here that it will take multiple listens for you to drink it all in and appreciate it.
Despite the intricacies of the album and the progressive nature of the songs, by the time we get to the end of the album even the prog-heads will be beginning to cry out for a change of pace and something a little more visceral and that comes in the form of The Sleeper. Now before you get carried away, this is not a high-speed headbanging tune. Rather it is a crawling, guitar-driven track with waves of heavy fuzzed out guitars and booming drums. This is exactly what the doctor ordered and especially within the last two minutes it gives the die-hard fans of the more metallic moments of SUNNATA something to sink their teeth into.
Chasing Shadows is very much a doubled edged sword. On one hand it is a brave, exciting musical endeavour that shows just how well-rounded and inspired SUNNATA are as songwriters at this stage of their career. The downside of this, however, is that the heaviness is a little lacking and that means fans of the heavier, riff-driven elements of the band are left somewhat in the cold. You can’t please everyone, but ultimately this is a decent album that deserves time.
Rating: 7/10
Chasing Shadows is out now via self-release.
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